Overview
 Rivers are all around us here in Western Washington. Almost all of us encounter them on a daily basis as we travel to and fro, work, or play. Despite how slow and lazy a quietly rolling river can seem, river environments are dangerous as much for what you can see as what you can’t. Rivers give us endless hours of enjoyment but they can also present very dangerous hazards to life and property. Whether you are a rescue professional, guide, someone who works in and around rivers, or simply a person who enjoys the river recreationally, being able to recognize and respond appropriately to hazards is imperative for minimizing potential threats to oneself, family, friends, and other boaters.
We offer a wide variety of river safety courses from one day awareness courses that concentrate on keeping oneself out of harm’s way to advanced swiftwater rescue courses that delve deep into rescue methods and theories for professional response teams, and everything in between. Our goal at Wave Trek Rescue is to teach our students how to think about water rescue and give them a variety of “tools” that they can employ to safely and efficiently respond to situations that arise. Just like rivers, rescue approaches must be dynamic and take into account conditions and variables effecting the scene—there is no absolute formula one can follow. It takes a blend of experience, judgment, practice, and training to execute a successful rescue. We at Wave Trek Rescue can provide the training, but the other three components must be continually developed by the student in order to be a proficient rescuer.
We offer NFPA compliant Rescue 3 certified courses, ACA certified courses, River Sense courses for youth, raft guide training, instructor training, and custom courses designed to fit the specific training needs of those who work and/or play in and around rivers. Check out our course offerings to find a class that suits your needs!
NFPA Compliant River Rescue
The following courses meet the National Fire Protection Agency Standards 1670 and 1006 for Technical Water Rescue. Upon completion of these courses students will receive a certificate from Rescue 3.
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This one-day course will assist your organization in meeting the NFPA 1670 standard for Awareness level training. This class is designed for any person who, in the course of their duties, may be first on-scene for a water rescue incident. This seminar introduces personnel to the problems associated with water rescue, as well as procedures to follow when encountered with flash floods, large-scale disasters and seasonal flooding. Because this is a theory class, the Awareness level responder is not considered a rescuer. This seminar is entirely classroom based.
- Prerequisites: None
- Equipment Needed: None
- Course Cost: $105
- Course Dates: none scheduled at this time
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This one-day course deals with "flat" water and is designed for agencies who have no immediate need for a specialized water rescue class, but wish to have personnel certified in basic water rescue training in order to meet local requirements or comply with OSHA and NFPA guidelines. In order to increase personnel safety and decrease the likelihood of rescuers turning into victims, this course initially focuses on appropriate personal protective equipment and drown-proofing of rescuers. Other course objectives include hazard recognition, site management, shore-based and wading rescue techniques, throw line skills, simple boat-based rescue techniques, and higher risk tethered swimming techniques.
This eight-hour course includes approximately four hours of classroom instruction followed by four hours of in-water skills practice. This is an appropriate class for any organization who works, or may work, around lakes, ponds or other non-flowing water. This course meets the general requirements laid out in the NFPA 1670 standard for Awareness level for water rescue.
This course covers flat water only. For groups with any combination of flat and moving water, Rescue 3 highly recommends Swiftwater First Responder Operations Level as a more appropriate alternative.
- Prerequisites: None
- Equipment needed includes drysuit or wetsuit, USCG approved Type III or V PFD (life jacket), whitewater helmet, and water booties or tennis shoes (gloves and fins optional).
- Course Cost: $125
- Course Dates: none scheduled at this time
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This two-day course has one day of classroom instruction and one day of practical field exercise. Students are trained in hazard recognition, self-rescue, equipment use, and techniques necessary to conduct basic shore and boat-based rescues.
After completion of Operations: Swiftwater First Responder, certified personnel may participate in higher risk technical rescues under the supervision of Technician level rescuers.
- Prerequisites: None
- Equipment needed includes drysuit or wetsuit, USCG approved Type III or V PFD (life jacket), whitewater helmet, and water booties or tennis shoes. Students are encouraged to bring their own personal gear, however Wave Trek Rescue
has some gear available for classes—check availability.
- Course Cost: $225
- Course Dates: none scheduled at this time
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This is an intensive three-day class. One day of classroom instruction is followed by 2 days developing and practicing water rescue skills. Objectives emphasize developing self-rescue skills, utilizing existing water dynamics, and handling hazards and obstacles. Participants will set up technical rope systems, controlling in-water contact rescues, and much more. Information from this course is applicable to anyone confronted with potential water rescue, as well as the possibility of self-rescue.
Prerequisites include being in good physical condition and having a basic ability to swim.
Required equipment includes full wetsuit or drysuit, a USCG approved life jacket, whitewater helmet, and booties or tennis shoes. Gloves and fins are optional. Students are encouraged to bring their own rescue gear to practice with.
- Students are encouraged to bring their own personal gear, however Wave Trek Rescue has some gear available for classes—check availability.
- Course Cost: $330
- Course Dates: April 25-27th, 2008
- Course location: Index, WA
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The SRTA course is the second of three units needed for people wanting to advance to the Technician Level for Water and Rope based rescues. This three-day course has 1 day of classroom instruction followed by 2 days of hands-on skill development. It integrates techniques and skills learned in SRT1, as well as incident command level controls, all while in the midst of class III and above whitewater. There will be a night search as well as low to high angle rope work, which is the prerequisite for the TRR. Other topics covered include: preplanning, rescue and recovery management, problems associated with floods, raising and lowering systems, and much more.
The SRT 2 is similar to the SRT A, but in a two day format and is not NFPA compliant. Call for more information.
- Prerequisites include being in good physical condition and a basic ability to swim.
- Required equipment includes full wetsuit or drysuit, a USCG approved life jacket, whitewater helmet, booties or tennis shoes, and headleamp. Gloves and fins are optional. Students are encouraged to bring their own rescue gear to practice with.
Students are encouraged to bring their own personal gear, however Wave Trek Rescue has some gear available for classes—check availability.
- Course Cost: $330
- Course Dates: April 28-30, 2008
- Course location: Index, WA
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This course is designed to meet the current industry standards for people that work or play on or around the river, such as professional guides, recreational boaters, and Fish and Game personnel. Students will benefit from this intensive, hands-on course, using simple equipment and techniques to solve rescue scenarios that might occur on the river. Objectives emphasize developing self-rescue skills, utilizing existing water dynamics, and handling hazards and obstacles. Presented in a 2 1/2 day format (usually 3 hours on Friday with full days on Saturday and Sunday), this course takes the basic core essentials from the Swiftwater Rescue Technician course and applies them to the real world river environment.
- Prerequisites include being in good physical condition and having a basic ability to swim.
- Required equipment includes full wetsuit or drysuit, a USCG approved life jacket, whitewater helmet, and booties or tennis shoes. Gloves and fins are optional. Students are encouraged to bring their own personal gear, however Wave Trek Rescue has some gear available for classes—check availability.
- Course Cost: $295
- Course Dates: March 21-23 & May 6-8, 2008
- Course location: Index, WA
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This two-day course builds on the skills learned in either SRT1 or WRT. The WRT2 course concentrates on further developing advanced water rescue skills, including managing the rescue scene, litter management and the utilization of teams. There is also a mock night rescue scenario.
- Prerequisites: WRT or SRT1
- Equipment: Basic water equipment
- Course Cost: $295
- Course Dates: Pending to announce
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Kayaking in whitewater can be a thrill, but there are some very real dangers that need to be prepared for. Getting some training is one of the best things you can do for yourself and those you boat with if you want to keep yourselves safe while out playing. For those who do not have the time for a 3-day course, this is an intensive one-day look at kayak rescue. You will learn about basic rope techniques, rescue jackets, group organization and much more.
- Prerequisites include a basic ability to swim and familiarity with whitewater kayaking.
- Required equipment includes wetsuit or drysuit, a USCG approved life jacket, whitewater helmet, booties or tennis shoes, hardshell kayak, spray skirt, and paddle. Students are encouraged to bring their own rescue gear to practice with.
- Students are encouraged to bring their own personal gear, however Wave Trek Rescue has some gear available for classes—check availability.
- Course Cost: $100
- Course Dates: by request of groups of 6 or more
- Course location: Index, WA
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This 2 day course covers the latest in basic rescue techniques for boaters using a minimal amount of gear. We work on vertical pins, wrapped and broached boats, body and foot entrapments, safe swimming techniques and use of rescue jackets. Certified American Canoe Association instructors teach this course. The first day of class is classroom based and starts at 5 pm, while the following two days are on the water.
- Prerequisites include a basic ability to swim and familiarity with whitewater kayaking.
- Required equipment includes wetsuit or drysuit, a USCG approved life jacket, whitewater helmet, booties or tennis shoes, hardshell kayak, spray skirt, and paddle. Students are encouraged to bring their own rescue gear to practice with.
- Students are encouraged to bring their own personal gear, however Wave Trek Rescue has some gear available for classes—check availability.
- Course Cost: $290
- Course Dates: by request of groups of 6 or more
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